


Side by Side

by Kirby_Stilinski



Category: LAMP/CALM - Fandom, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF, prinxiety - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Frantic Sides, Happy Ending, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Inspired by Sanders Sides, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Multi-chaptered fic, Panic Attacks, Protecc, Psychological Trauma, Reckless!Thomas, The Mindscape, Thomas Manifests the Sides.., kidnapped! Virgil, shhh ignore the MCD tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:59:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirby_Stilinski/pseuds/Kirby_Stilinski
Summary: Thomas and Virgil unexpectedly end up missing. The remaining Sides have to do their best to find them and bring them home. But their trust in one another is disappearing just as quickly as they are, and they're running out of time to save each other as an unstoppable force looms over them and takes them out one by one.*oof* or i'm really bad at summaries and this is the Kidnapped AU fic that nobody asked for.





	1. "Thomas Is Gone"

**Author's Note:**

> Let's see where this goes ! Probably nowhere. Idk. I'm bad at this, this is my first Sanders Sides fic so bear with me. Feedback is Greatly appreciated plez.
> 
> But Anyway.  
> **Trigger Warnings**  
> \- Mentions of Homophobia  
> \- Panic Attacks, like a lot  
> \- Lots of Self-Degredation  
> \- Plenty of Sadness  
> \- Major Character Death? But there wil be a happy ending, dont worry.

Thomas' head was swimming and his knees buckled underneath him just as the six Sides of his personality came to life. Logan was the first to notice Thomas' condition, darting forward and helping their Host onto the nearest couch. Roman beamed around the room and shook off his tunic, carelessly walking past the distressed Sides. Virgil was quiet where he stood, eyes glued to Thomas' being. He was angry, he had told Thomas that he wouldn't have enough energy to manifest them, and to just wait another day, but _no._ Roman had to open his mouth and sway Thomas like he always does. Part of Virgil felt sinister enjoying seeing Thomas utterly wrecked, the rest of him felt worried if he would be alright.

 Whenever Thomas would manifest the sides of his personality, it would always result in a great deal of exhaustion for him. Upon finally exerting every ounce of his energy into manifesting the Sides, he knew it was too much and was closet to passing before finishing. Logan was looking at every angle and limb on his body, eyes scanning and searching for any physical damage. The Host's eyes were drooping, arms weak and body utterly trashed as he lay motionless against the soft couch cushions. Remy, the most sluggish of the Sides, approached Thomas and curled up next to him. For some strange reason, Thomas felt like he could breathe again and his eyes could open wide. His body felt less exhausted and more awake than before. Remy put on his sunglasses and pulled his jacket closer to himself, a smile on his face.

  "I told him not to do it, I _told him_ not to! Now look at him! You're lucky you didn't die, Thomas" Anxiety bit out. Roman groaned and Logan merely nodded his head. "Anxiety is right, Thomas. The amount of energy that you typically exert during the process is greater when you project all six of us rather than one at a time. You are lucky that you hadn't broken anything or fainted from the force. You need to be more careful the next time," Logan said as he stood back. Roman yawned dramatically and stretched, eyes turning to him.

 "B-ut we're here! And he's perfectly fine! He's just a bit overdone. I'll have him up and running by supper time," Roman proclaimed courageously. Virgil shook his head and his patience with the prince began to dwindle quickly. "He could have been seriously hurt, you idiot. Don't you care about that?" Virgil snapped. Roman rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I honestly consider if you even have a brain. You do things in the moment without thinking clearly. You never want to wait. It's always about you and your dreams and for the good of whatever!" Roman stuck his hand out and moved his fingers to mimic Anxiety speaking. The latter smacked his hand away and balled his fists. "Don't stick your hand in my face again, you piece of--" 

  "Both of you cut it out. This is not the time for your antics," Logan snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

 "Hey.. guys," he mumbled as he sat up, wincing as he did so. "Anxiety's right, like he always is," Thomas said. Virgil gave Roman a smirk who threw his hands in the air, walking away. "i should have listened to you and Logic. I... I don't know, I just felt the need to talk to all of you as soon as I could." Patton came over and handed Thomas a glass of cold water, sitting on his left, giving him a gentle nudge. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. The hard part's over, and you got our attention. What's on your mind?" Patton asked reassuringly, fixing his jacket appropriately around his neck. Thomas took a deep breath.

  "I know that I try to let you guys out every once in a while because... well, I know you guys enjoy the Mindscape but it also doesn't hurt to just... roam around on your own, yknow?" Thomas said, "I was hoping to offer a chance for all of us to be... out for about a week? Maybe more, maybe less, i'm not sure yet." There were many nervous glances around the room and Thomas quickly added, "if you guys want to, of course. I won't force you to do it." Logan was tapping his chin with his fingers before 

  Anxiety stopped listening once the others began to talk, zoning out and feeling hungry. Then he felt a presence behind him. Virgil turned his head and noticed Prince was staring at him, looking away as soon as they made eye contact. Slowly, the anxious Side walked over to Roman where he lay against the wall, eyes narrowing as he approached. "Don't give me that look. I was in the right and you knew it," the shorter man grumbled. "I don't merely care about myself. And my dreams _aren't_ stupid." Roman replied, "And for the record, I do have a brain, one that probably works better than your own." Virgil scoffed and looked away from Roman's face, his eyes casting down and his eyebrows easing the tension in them. Roman sighed and pushed himself off the wall to stand closer to him. "Look... I'm sorry. But Thomas wanted to meet with us urgently and I didn't see any harm in it. Will you forgive me?"

  The silence that stretched between them was making the creative Side worried. Virgil's nod gave Roman the opportunity to wrap his arms around him, allowing Virgil to relax into them. Roman rested his chin on top of Virgil, smelling the smell of coconut. He smiled. "Someone looks awfully comfortable," Deceit said, suddenly standing beside them. Virgil opened his eyes and rolled them, tensing immediately. Roman looked over at Deceit. "Not anymore" he mumbled. Deceit let out a laugh, laced with mischief. "I don't mean to intrude--" Roman scoffed. "--but might I interest you in the conversation we were all here for in the first place?" 

  "We're out of Crofters?!" Logan suddenly shouted, staring at Patton wide-eyed. Roman and Virgil looked over before returning to Deceit and his smirk. "Thomas is hoping we can all congregate together and come to a decision if whether or not we wish to go out into the real world for a week as opposed to the typical weekends. It's an... experiment of some sort, most likely conjured by Glasses over there." Deceit said distastefully, glaring at Logan and Patton's direction. Roman sighed and chose to ignore Deceit as the latter inched closer and whispered, "It could mean some more alone time for you two lovebirds." Deceit smirked and tipped his hat as he walked away. Virgil's tension released all at once, allowing Roman to let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Virgil uncurled from the taller Side and looked up at him. 

  "He's messing with us, isn't he?" Roman's mouth perked at Virgil's question. "He better be. Not the Thomas part, but the... alone time part..." Virgil duck his head into his white tunic, covering the blush that was still visible at his ears. Roman did his best to hide his own, bringing Virgil closer to him. Thomas looked anxiously at everybody before he asked for their opinions. Most of them were split, Logan asked for ground rules, Patton asked for a schedule of leave, and Remy asked for a reason.

  "I'll give you guys some time to think about it." Thomas finally said. The Sides nodded their heads and began to disperse across the house. Deceit and Patton took to the kitchen to prepare a meal for the group. Logan searched through the small shelf in the living room for an appropriate book to read. Remy laid asleep on the couch next to Logan. Thomas made his way to his bedroom to get some sleep as well. Virgil and Roman remained, both awkwardly standing in the living room before Roman held Virgil's wrist. "Let's go explore," he said as he led them upstairs. Virgil ignored the wink Deceit sent and the thumbs up Patton was sending as well. They entered Thomas' "office", which was just where he put together most of his ideas for videos and such, and collapsed on the heaps of pillows and bean bags strewn.

  Virgil felt Roman let go of his wrist, immediately missing the touch. The ceiling was littered with stickers that the group managed to stick onto the ceiling one time. Some stickers hung low, ready for takeoff; some stickers were peeling off at an agonizingly slow pace; there were only a handful of stickers that remained well placed on the ceiling. Most likely Roman's, him being the tallest of the six. There was joyful exclamations echoing from downstairs. Virgil turned to face the prince, who kept his eyes glued to the stickers, admiring the nostalgia that came with them. The small sparkle of fascination and adoration made something inside Virgil uncoil. Roman noticed his staring, turning to lay on his side.

  "What?" Virgil asked, his mouth quirking to a little smile. Roman began to smile too, his bright white teeth almost glowing. "Nothing, you're just beautiful," Roman replied, shrugging bashfully. Virgil ducked his head and Roman chuckled. "Hey... you don't need to hide your face from me," he said, tilting Virgil's chin to look back at him. Virgil's eyes shined in the dark and looked deep into his. All that pain and worry that cast over Virgil's eyes made Roman so angry, he wanted to wipe it all away and fill them with hope and joy instead. 

  "Virgil, I..." Roman's words left his mouth. Virgil looked expectantly. "I think I lov--"

 The door was slammed open as Logan ran in, eyes wide and pale. "Thomas is gone." Roman and Virgil sat up, looking at one another in shock. "What do you mean he's gone?" There was something akin to a growl in the back of Logan's throat. "He's gone! We went into his room to ask if he wanted anything to eat but his bed was empty and the window was open. A chair was knocked over and a slew of the items on his nightstand were scattered across the floor." Roman bolted up and followed Logan out of the office. Virgil shakily stood and followed.  _No no no no no no, this can't be happening. I let Thomas out of sight for a few minutes and this happens?_ Virgil's thoughts raced as he followed behind them. The room clearly illustrated some kind of struggle, objects to and fro, the sheets were basically on the floor and the window remained ominously open. As his panic skyrocketed, Virgil felt his legs carry him down the stairs and his hands grasping at whatever he could in an attempt to stay upright. Clutching at the railing of the staircase, he could hear people speaking frantically and a hand grab his shoulder. 

  "What happened to Remy?" Logan asked. Deceit cursed and Patton's eyes unbelievably widened. "Oh gosh, Remy!" Patton whimpered. Virgil ignored the commotion inside and proceeded to throw open the front door and round the house to look around. The sun was past setting, his eyes attempting to adjust to the growing darkness. He looked up at the side of which Thomas' window remained open. There were a series of small bushes right underneath, but no sign of impact showed that Thomas had fallen out.

  "Thomas," Anxiety hissed, "Where are you?" The only response was crickets ceasing their chirping. There was a rustling in a nearby bush. Virgil took a step back, his heart beat growing faster with every second, his mind set in the Fight or Flight response. A looming figure jumped from the bush and took Virgil down with ease. The figure put a cloth to Virgil's mouth and dragged him into the bushes, hidden from view. Virgil thrashed as much as he could before receiving a blow to the knee and to his stomach, halting his struggle. Roman and Logan appeared from around the corner and looked around. 

  "Where did he go?" That was Logan speaking, judging by his tone. "I thought I had just seen him wander outside." The two Sides approached the bushes and merely stared up at the window above. "Thomas couldn't have possibly fallen and run away could he?" That was Roman. His concern prevalent in his voice. Logan hummed in thought and retreated from the bushes. Virgil attempted to whimper loudly and they turned their heads. "What was that?" They approached the bush and Virgil felt his mind slowly turning into mush. His thoughts became numb and his body was falling limp. He was being put to sleep. 

  "Probably a rat or something," Logan concluded as they stepped back and made their way back into the house. Virgil's eyes drooped weakly, his last view was of a pair of black boots.


	2. Count. Count. Count.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan has an episode and the others begin to question Logan's trustworthiness;  
>  Virgil has a panic attack in his captivity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie ch. 2.
> 
> **W A R N I N G**  
> extremely descriptive panic attack

 Roman woke up sore and carefully untwisted himself from his odd position against the sofa. His eyes adjusted to the bleak sunlight pouring in from the small cracks of the curtains. Small snores littered the living room, especially from Patton, who lay awkwardly against the coffee table. Everyone seemed to be asleep, and Roman's stomach grumbled hungrily. As he stood up from the sofa, bones crackling as he stretched, there was a crash that came from the kitchen which had alerted the creative Side. Roman moved forward to investigate, carefully stepping over Deceit who's tongue slithered abruptly. Upon peering into the small kitchen, Roman spotted Logan lying on the floor, back against the oven. His hands were cut up and his glasses were askew. "Logan?" Roman called out, voice in a hushed whisper. The logical Side was staring at the floor, eyes droopy and head lolled down. "Logan, are you alright?" 

  "What if Virgil took him?" Logan croaked. The prince's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand what you mean--" Roman began, abruptly being cut off by Logan, "That's the only reasonable explanation I've been able to conjure. Virgil took Thomas out of greed, because he believed he could have taken better care of him. Anxiety always felt like we pushed him away, it is no surprise to me at all if yesterday he finally... snapped. Especially after we coaxed Thomas into manifesting us so quickly. Perhaps... Anxiety has taken him away from us and--" 

  "You're wrong, Logan," Roman said, interrupting the Side, "You're wrong. Virgil was with me after we concluded the meeting. We were in the office, enjoying one another's company--" Logan scoffed and finally met Creativity's eyes. "Or maybe you're in on it because you're in love." Logan had a dark smirk on his face as he slowly stood up, a shard of glass in his hand. "Perhaps... we were all fooled. It would be the only alternative to explain why you two have been getting so close together. You've fallen in love and developed a coup to take Thomas away from us. For all we know, you'll run off into the sunset with your little Anxious prince with Thomas in tow. You've never really seen eye-to-eye with me either, Roman." The latter began to take a step back, his shoulders tense as he felt cornered. "Or maybe you're planning to kill us all. That way neither of you will ever have to deal with us again. It also explains why you were so adamant on manifesting us. It was your only opportunity to pick us all off, isn't it? _One_ by _one_." Logan's steps followed each word, their bodies close to being pressed together.

  "Logan, put the glass down." Roman warned, raising his own hand to place it against his chest. Logan blinked, looking down at his hand where he was painfully gripping onto the shard. His hands shook as he let it clatter to the ground, small specks of blood trailing after it. "O-oh God, Roman. I-i don't know what came over me. Sweet mother of-- Did I hurt you?" Logan's eyes widened, clearly panicked as he began to take large strides backwards. Roman stared at him, relaxing a bit, but not enough to let his guard down. "Is everything alright?" Deceit tiredly asked as he came into the kitchen. His eyes immediately latching onto Logan's cut and Roman's terrified expression. 

  "What's happening?" Morality yawned as he entered the kitchen behind them, eyes squinting without his glasses. He got a good whiff of his surroundings, and his eyes widened. "Why do I smell blood?" Deceit gave Patton a shocked look. "How do you know the distinct smell of blood?" Patton shushed him and took Logan's hand, leading them to the sink. There was a shattered jar of Crofter's inside, the jelly slowly weeping into the drain. As Logan's wound was being taken care of, Roman recounted the unsettling memory to the two Sides, Patton occasionally glancing at Logan's face for any reaction. "Is it true?" Patton asked, wrapping a bandage around Logic's hand. The latter sighed, and gave Patton a deflated look. "Y-yes. But I couldn't remember it! I swear to you, Patton, I would never. Now I know that I've had my fair share of confrontations with Roman, but never to the extent of wanting to actually hurt him." Patton looked away, feeling indifferent on the inside. "You're all patched up," he mumbled as he shoved everything back into the drawer. "Patton, wait," Logan whispered, "You have to understand that I could not possibly have any malicious intent." Patton looked doubtful. 

  "Did you hurt Thomas?" Patton whispered, his voice on the cusp of trembling. 

 The question rang in everyone's ears, the silence pushing against their chests in an effort to take out the air from their lungs. Logan was the first to inhale. "No."

  Patton squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before embracing Logan into a large hug, his head resting in the crook of his neck. Logan relaxed into the hug, definitely not used to such close contact. Deceit narrowed his eyes. "Interesting," was all he said before sauntering off into the living room. Roman felt uneasy.

  Breakfast was unorganized. Logan, Patton and Remy--who was unaware of the events beforehand-- ate quietly in the kitchen. Roman and Deceit formulated over the "crime scene" opting to eat afterwards. Logan restlessly finished and joined them upstairs, Deceit's snake eye narrowing as he entered Thomas' room. The Logical Side gave Roman an apologetic smile. "I believe you, if that's what's worrying you," Roman said, "And I'm warning you right now that everybody has their eye on you." Logan nodded before straightening his tie and clearing his throat. "I say we prioritize looking for Thomas right now." Logan decided as he scanned the room. "And Virgil," Roman interjected, voice a bit forceful, "let's not forget Virgil." Deceit kept his stare locked on Logan, who shifted uncomfortably from it.

  "If Thomas was taken while we were all downstairs, that means that whoever took him must have been in the house, judging by how the window was opened from the inside as opposed from the outside." Roman stated, pointing every which way. "We also know that his kidnapper also attempted to hurt him." Logan squatted on the carpet and look towards the ground. "There's a dotted blood trail leading from the end of his bed to the window," Roman noted.

  "Also: whomever took him wasn't very clean with their work," Deceit added as he led them to the window and they looked down. Looking out the window revealed a clearly dismantled bush not too far from the bottom. "They hid Thomas before running off with him." Roman and Logan looked at one another questionably. Their eyes meeting with Deceit's. They all shared the same question at that point: Who did it then?

* * *

 The first thing Virgil heard was the sound of wind chimes. The second thing he felt was the rough carpet underneath him.. He slowly sat up, his back aching and legs burning from the position he must have fallen asleep in. Then he felt the rope that was tied onto his left wrist. There was a faint rope burn ingrained on his wrist. He searched for the origin of the rope, and found that it had seemingly stuck out of the ground. He pulled, tugged, and even clawed at the material, but only to notice how his nails had been filed  and cut to nubs to his fingertips. Anxiety groaned angrily and opted to look at his surroundings instead. He was in a fairly nice house that seemed much to comfortable for his taste. He had a view, as well. A set of big glass doors that overlooked a lake. 

  At the end of the room sat a table with a knife on it. He ran forward and was quickly snapped back by the rope. He groaned and attempted to stretch the rope and his arm as far as he could. His hand was a few feet away, so he opted for his legs to try and bring the table down. He was off by a few inches. Virgil groaned and retreated back to his original spot.He tugged on the rope and clawed the carpet desperately. Virgil stared longingly out the window for a minute as he realized he was trapped. He's been kidnapped. His eyes searched frantically for an escape.. _Cmon, just breathe. Breathe, Virgil. You'll be fine. Just breathe._ Virgil took a deep breath. Held it. Let go. He took deep breaths and did his best to stay calm. The room he was in was completely bare, aside from the table. His eyes searched and looked around for any other solution. Virgil decided it'd be easier to look at the lake, hoping that would keep him calm for a few minutes. He could see birds flying by. Then one slammed into the glass doors and fell weakly, twitching. Virgil's heart spiked and he found himself breathing quickly again. _I'm gonna die here. I'm gonna die here. I'm gonna die here. Oh God, I'm gonna_ die _here and nobody's going to know. Thomas won't know. Logan. Patton. They won't know. And Roman won't--._ Virgil fell backward and felt his lungs screaming for air. His eyes watered and he shriveled in on himself. _Roman won't know._ _Oh God, Roman won't know._ Virgil's hertbeat was pounding in his ear, he could feel the sweat in his palms and the pain in his chest reverberated across his whole body. His eyes would lose focus and his chest seem to be crushed by a million pounds. _Breathe. Breathe. Cmon, Virgil. BREATHE._

  Anxiety's eyes watered and he clawed uselessly at the ground. _What would Roman say if he were here?_ One inhalation, another compression in his windpipe. _Roman would tell him to count his fingers. Count anything in the room. Count. Count. Count._ Two inhalations, and one compression in his lungs. _Five fingers. Count off your fingers. One, Two Three--_ Three inhalations and he felt the pounding in his head steady to a numbing sensation. _Count Logan's trophies. The ones Thomas keeps buried in a box somewhere. Five, Six, Seven--_ Five inhalations, and this time he held them all enough to let them exhale and relieve his watering eyes. _Roman was there. He held his head and asked him too many questions. He'd hold his hand and whisper incomprehensible things. Roman, holding his hand and telling him to breathe. Just **breathe**._

  Virgil got his senses back. His fingers curled into the carpet and he inhaled the smell of fresh linen. His chest felt sore and his eyes still burned. Roman would hug him and tell him that everything was going to be just fine. He'd scoop him into his arms and Virgil would feel safe. So he let that feeling overtake him and he began to take small, deep breaths. Roman would be proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please give me feedback ;-;


	3. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy goes missing and the group begins to fall apart;
> 
> Meanwhile, Virgil confronts his attacker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie ch. 3  
> thx for the Kudos & Comments?? I'm glad yall likes it ._.

Remy was in his usual spot; He was on the far end of their couch, curled up, and doing his best to fall asleep. His barely sipped Starbucks cup and sunglasses still on the coffee table. Logan was sitting beside him, reading a book. Logan scrunched his eyes and attempted to read the same page again (he's been on it for a few minutes now). Deep down, Logan was doing his best not to let the dread of Virgil and Thomas' disappearances to haunt him. Remy appreciated the company nonetheless. Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, then balled at his eyes and cleaned his glasses before he finally closed the book and laid it to rest on the coffee table. 

  "Would you like to sleep upstairs with the rest of us?" Logan asked. Remy shook his head. "Suit yourself," the logical Side mumbled as he rose, stretched, and made his way up the staircase, flicking off the lights as he did so. The room was pitch black, yet Remy had practically memorized each piece of furniture in Thomas' household, useful for sleepwalking. The house grew quiet, and Remy did his best not to dwell on the disappearances. He felt the familiar tug of exhaustion weighing him down, relieved that he could finally get some rest. Then he heard creaking. A door knob jiggling, somewhere upstairs. The stairs were making sounds, but maybe that was just Remy's imagination. _Where did they go, Remy?_ The question echoed in his head. Remy felt at peace he was finally getting some sleep. He hasn't been himself these past few days but maybe that's okay. Some sleep should definitely get him nice and chipper for tomorrow. He couldn't even remember falling asleep at that point. The house was shaking and the walls felt like they were moving. 

  Patton made his way down the stairs, hoping to get a glass of water. He managed to turn on the kitchen light, eyes burning and squinting against it. He drank his water and did his best not to reminisce on the events of the days before, specifically when Logan nearly attacked Roman in the kitchen. _What was going through his head?_ Patton looked over the counter and noticed Remy sleeping soundly on the sofa. The poor guy. He has looked restless these past few nights, his usual sarcasm just wasn't there anymore. Patton flicked off the lights and walked up the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. Upon almost reaching the door to Thomas' "office", he realized he still held the cup in his hand and groaned, opting to leave it in the sink rather than tripping on it in the morning. 

  Morality did his best to remain quiet, leaving the cup soundly in the sink and making his journey back up. When he reached the staircase however, he had the odd feeling something was creeping up behind him. _Ugh! I hate the dark_ , he thought. At the top step, Patton heard something creak and looked behind him to see Remy was at the foot of the stairs, wearing his sunglasses like some fool. "Remy? Ooh, sorry, did I wake you? Go back to sleep, kiddo, I was just getting some water," Patton whispered. There was no response. Patton felt uneasy. "Go to sleep, Patton." Remy said, almost mechanically. Patton sighed, knowing that Remy was probably sleepwalking again. He shrugged and made it to the room, carfully curling up next to the others. Patton swore he heard something crack behind the door, but he didn't question it and let himself fall asleep.

* * *

  Virgil uncurled from where he lie on the floor. His eyes adjusting bleakly to the area around him. Bare walls. Glass doors. A wooden table. Then the memory came flooding back, but he controlled himself and allowed relief to replace the dread. Virgil looked out the windows, relieved to see the sky had been painted a dull blue with streaks of pink scattered far behind. The sun was just beyond the horizon, he just knew it. The wind chimes were faint, hanging from the outside. The bird that had slammed into the doors was completely still, sprawled out almost beautifully. Virgil kept his cool and managed to investigate the room. The walls were wooden and the carpet was too soft. The table, obviously out of reach, looked expensive. Virgil patted the ground, hard. There was something underneath him. But what? 

  The anxious Side caught the sound of footsteps. Inside or outside? The question was answered by a stranger, wearing black apparel, approaching the deck right outside. He picked up the bird and  grabbed it by its wing, tossing it weakly into the lake. The stranger, who's face was obscured by the shadows, looked down at Virgil in curiosity. He opened the glass doors with ease and the tension grew immensely once the fresh air entered the room. 

  They let out a disapproving tsk, carefully walking just out of Virgil's reach until they were fully covered in the shadows of the room. Virgil felt too many emotions at once. Anger? Fear? Resentment? Curiosity? Intrigue? Disgust? "Who are you?" he finally asked. No response. "Why did you... kidnap me?" No response, again. "Did you take Thomas too?" More silence, and Virgil felt anger bubbling inside of him. "Did you hurt him?" A beat of silence passed before the figure tapped their chin. "No," was their only response before sauntering off and closing the glass doors behind them. Virgil was slightly relieved. Then again, what else should he feel knowing that the stranger never answered the other questions? Their voice came out soft, but not aggressive. There was something familiar about the stranger, nonetheless...

  
   The hours ticked by, Virgil opted to take a nap a few times throughout the night, but the wind chimes and the view of the lake kept him entranced with where he was. _The trees look familiar_ , he thought to himself. _All trees look the same, you twat_ , he thought again. The sky began to morph from a soft, soothing blue into a ridiculously pastel pink, with hues of orange littering the large expansion of sky. A few minutes into staring at the colors, Virgil heard something click behind him and watched as a figure stumbled away from the table where the knife was. The immediate smell of bacon and eggs filled his nose, causing his mouth to water and stomach to grumble. He saw the small plate of food on the table, replacing where the knife used to be and instead with a dull fork and plastic cup with juice. The figure returned, a face mask covering them as they entered and placed a chair in front of the desk and moving it closer to Virgil, who sat angrily next to the doors.

  
"Bon Apetit," he mumbled with the mask on as he left, going through a door that closed and camouflaged into the wall. Virgil stared at the food hungrily. _It's a test. Probably poisoned._ He thought to himself. He nearly whined at the sight, seeing how the eggs were cooked exactly how he wanted them. _Maybe just a few bites_ , he thought as he got closer. _It's obviously a trick. What if it's just so he could bring you near starvation each time and earn your trust through food?_ Virgil thought to himself. The true anxious part of him was cautioning him and conjuring horrible ideas, while the remaining rational side of him whined for food. He made it to the chair and took a deep breath upon seeing the plate in front of him. _What would the others say?_ Roman would plunge into the meal without thinking. Patton would be picky about it. Logan... Logan would probably suggest what getting a meal at all would entail. _Why go through the trouble of kidnapping you just to kill you?_ The question echoed in his head as he reached for the plastic fork and stabbed into the eggs, echoing on and on as he placed it under his nose to smell it, echoing as he slowly let it fall on his tongue and as he chewed, and finally, echoing as the eggs dragged down into his empty stomach. Then he took another stab at the egg. Then another. And another. Finally, he tried for the hash browns. Then the bacon. He washed everything down with the juice until he finally felt famished, staring at the empty plate. _If I die, at least it'll be on a full stomach_ , Virgil decided as he slowly slid off the chair and stared at the sunrise again. The colors were more vibrant this time, and the clouds were rolling in at an agonizingly slow pace. The windchimes lightly clicked into itself. Staring into the sunrise, the sky fluorescent and alight stirred something inside Anxiety, allowing him to settle on developing a plan for getting the hell out of there.

* * *

Logan always woke up before everybody else. He liked getting up early to either get some reading done in peace or to go for a run in the early morning. He rose from where he was next to Roman, and carefully untangled himself from Deceit's legs in order to stand up. He stretched his arms high, letting the sleep wring out of his limbs and allow him to step over the others. He opened the door out of the room and stopped midstep to notice how Remy's sunglasses were shattered on the floor. He picked them up gingerly, staring at the way they looked trampled. Logan took the shattered glasses and put them on the desk in Thomas' room. He'd inspect them later. First, he decided to go for a shower. He shed his clothes after locking the door and let the cold water run across his body. Logan was much thinner than the other Sides. He did his best to stay fit, knowing well it decreased his chances of contracting any diseases or illnesses.

  
Logan knew he was wrong, but part of him hoped that the water could wash away all his worries. The cold cascade would distract him from the emptiness that would remain in the room, allowing him to think of all the joy the group had together. The "crime scene", as Roman liked to call it, seemed so messy. All these years of reading murder-mystery novels, and not a single idea or resolution has come to mind. Who could've done it? Why would they? Patton could never, he's been ruled out by his immense grief. Roman, perhaps, but only with the help of another individual. Virgil, as well, but that would mean Roman would be the next to disappear. Deceit? Remy? The questions could go on and on. Then the realization hit him. The crime scene was too messy. Too clean. Too unkept. Too... much. It was all too much!

  
Logic shut off the water as quickly as possible, throwing a towel loosely around him before throwing open the bathroom door and making his way over to Thomas' bedroom. The small specs of blood. The sheets. The window. All the little details had been put in place so carefully. But why? A struggle could have been imminent if the attacker had merely covered his mouth or nose. But this was all for dramatic effect. Roman and Deceit's specialty. The blood is traumatic, a shock factor. Virgil's work. The window was pushed open, but not all the way, clearly indicating a lack of force, strength, or effort. Remy. Then there was the bush outside. A hiding tactic, useful in case anybody peered out the window to find anything suspicious, ignoring the bush that obviously couldn't be seen in the dark. Deceit playing at hiding. Logan laughed, almost maniacally. God, he must be losing it. He grabbed the camera he knew Thomas kept in his drawer and quickly took a picture, grabbing the glasses as he did so, trying to glue this together with his recent discovery. Then Roman and Patton run in, stumbling over each other.

  
"What happened? Why are you naked? Whose glasses?" Roman asked rapidly. Patton squinted against his horrible eyesight. "Logan? Please don't stab me, I don't have my glasses on, give me a sec," he mumbled as he sauntered back to the office.

  
"I've figured it out. Whomever did this must have known each of our own distinct traits to pull off a 'perfect crime scene'," Logan said, airquoting as best as he could with the items in his hands. "Each little detail points to any one of us causing this. It's a confusion tactic to throw us off and keep us distracted." Logan waved at the room weakly. Roman stared at Logan cautiously.

  
"Why do you have Remy's glasses and why are they broken?" Roman asked, ignoring everything the logical Side just said. "Remy?" Roman called out downstairs. Patton returned with his glasses and Deceit, who's tongue flicked out annoyingly. "What now?"

  
"I figured it ou--" Logan began before Roman interrupted. "Where's Remy?" Roman darted downstairs, his feet echoing as they trembled across the house. "Remy?!"  
Deceit looked at Logan and raised an eyebrow. "I never knew you had abs," he said, smirking. Logan groaned. "He's not here. And _you_ have his glasses." Roman accused. He curled his fists.

  
"You cannot seriously believe I could have done this," Logan cautioned. Roman narrowed his eyes.

  
"Well you did try to kill me the other morning," Roman responded. Logan scoffed. "I was in a daze! I was stressed! Upset! We all are--"

  
Roman stormed off, his footsteps echoing before they heard a door slam shut. There were a few beats of silence that stretched between the remaining three, and Patton merely stood there, scratching his chin. "I believe you," Patton said, giving Logan a pat on the arm. "He's just confused, kiddo. He'll be fine." Patton also wandered off and Deceit maintained eye-contact with Logan.

  
"Need help in the shower?" He joked. Logan rolled his eyes and pushed through the doorway to return to the bathroom. Deceit chuckled. "I'll take that as a no?" The door slam and lock of the knob was Logan's only response.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos? Comments? Concerns? Feedback? All greatly appreciated! I need validation in order to write because I cannot motivate myself for the life of me. Thanks for reading ! Next chapter will come out soon!


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